Water Metering (Hansard, 23 February 1993)

§ Mr. Pawsey
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many EC member countries currently have some system of water metering; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Maclean
Some system of water metering exists in all EC countries. In England and Wales it is for water companies to decide on their preferred method of charging in the light of the circumstances in their operating area.

§ Mr. Alex Carlile
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will order an inquiry into the Isle of Wight water metering project when it finishes; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Maclean
No. Information on setting up and running the Isle of Wight water metering trial and the small-scale trials is contained in two interim reports, copies of which are in the Library. A final report is expected to be published in the spring. I will ensure that copies of this report are also placed in the Library.

§ Mr. Alex Carlile
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the people of the Isle of Wight regarding the water metering project; if he will publish them; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Maclean
I have received a small number of letters about meter installation and billing issues. I do not intend to make these public. For details of reports on the metering trial on the Isle of Wight I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him earlier.

§ Mrs. Helen Jackson
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the present extent of(a) volumetric and (b) pre-payment metering consumption in domestic properties in England and Wales, region by region.

§ Mr. Maclean
[holding answer Monday 22 February]: The information requested is not held centrally. However, I understand that about 3 per cent. of households receive a metered water supply and that several small-scale trials of prepayment meters are being conducted. The second interim report of the water metering trials indicates that in the small-scale trials the average annual consumption per property was 137 cu m.